Oral contraceptive use increases risk of inflammatory and coagulatory disorders in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: An observational study

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a multispectral disorder requiring lifelong management. Its pathophysiology is still being explored which makes its treatment options restrained. Present study explores impact of oral contraceptive mode of treatment on metabolic, hormonal, inflammation and coagulation profile of PCOS women. 50 subjects diagnosed with Rotterdam criteria receiving no drug treatment served as controls whereas 50 subjects receiving only OCPs (Ethinyl estradiol 0.03 mg, Levonorgestrel 0.15 mg) as a mode of treatment at least for six-months served as cases. Ferriman-Gallwey score and hormonal profile improved on OCP treatment. However, parameters like weight, Body mass index, waist-hip ratio, Oral glucose tolerance test, lipid profile, insulin, HOMA-IR, adiponectin, interleukin1β, visfatin, resistin, tissue factor, PT and APTT showed considerable derangements in OCP group. All above parameters are associated with the risk of diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, coronary vascular disease, cancers, hypercoagulable state, venous thromboembolism and thrombotic events. Long-term use of OCPs needs to be considered carefully for PCOS patients who are already burdened with associated risk factors. This study was conducted in a region where women do not have much access to high-end screening and diagnostic facilities that further exacerbates their clinical outcomes. Large scale, long-term studies need to be designed to further evaluate safety use of OCPs in PCOS women.

Elective fresh frozen plasma in the critically ill: what is the evidence?

The scientific rationale for administering fresh frozen plasma (FFP) rests on the assumptions that patients are at risk of adverse effects from inadequate coagulation factors, and that FFP transfusions can decrease those risks. There is a general but unfounded enthusiasm for FFP use across a range of clinical specialties in hospital practice. Plasma for transfusion is most often used when a patient has abnormal results on coagulation screening tests, either as therapy in the face of bleeding, or in patients who are not bleeding as prophylaxis before invasive procedures or surgery. Laboratory abnormalities of coagulation are considered by many clinicians to help predict bleeding before invasive procedures where bleeding risk exists; FFP is presumed to improve the laboratory results and reduce this risk. However, most guideline indications for the prophylactic use of FFP are not supported by evidence from good-quality randomised trials. In fact, the strongest randomised controlled trial evidence indicates that prophylactic plasma for transfusion is not effective across a range of clinical settings. This is supported by data from non-randomised studies in patients with mild-moderate abnormalities in coagulation tests. It is also crucial to clearly understand the risks associated with use of FFP, as no studies have taken adequate account of the extent to which adverse effects might negate the clinical benefits of treatment with FFP. New trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of plasma, both in bleeding and non-bleeding patients, and to determine whether presumed benefits outweigh the real risks. In addition, new haemostatic tests that better define the risk of bleeding and monitor the effectiveness of FFP use should be validated.

Predicting abnormal coagulation in ischemic stroke: reducing delay in rt-PA use

Normal prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) are recommended for administration of recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in stroke, but waiting for results can delay use. We examined the charts of 365 stroke patients to assess predetermined risk factors associated with elevated PT/PTT. Elevated PT/PTT can be predicted in patients taking warfarin or heparin/heparinoid or on hemodialysis, according to emergency department triage, with 100% sensitivity and 94.7% specificity. These results could be applied to rt-PA candidates and reduce potential delays.

Functional characterization of fibrinogen Bicêtre II: a gamma 308 Asn-->Lys mutation located near the fibrin D:D interaction sites

The effects of the gamma-308 Asn-->Lys substitution of fibrinogen Bicêtre II on clot formation, structure and properties were determined to elucidate the role of this part of the molecule in fibrin polymerization. This process was followed by measurement of turbidity, and the structure and biophysical characteristics of the clots were studied by permeation, scanning electron microscopy, and rheological techniques. Turbidity studies revealed an increased lag period and greater final turbidity for fibrin BII clots, indicating impaired oligomer formation. By permeation it was found that BII clots had greater network porosity, four times more than that of the control. The clot architecture visualized by scanning electron microscopy was similar to that of control clots with pore size and fiber diameter slightly increased. BII clots had a stiffness decreased by more than half, and an increased loss tangent, a measure of the inelastic deformation of the clot. All these results suggest a disruption of the proper alignment of fibrin monomers during oligomer formation. Consistent with these results, fibrin cross-linking by adding the physiological concentration of factor XIII to the purified protein showed that gamma and alpha chain cross-linking was impaired in BII clots. This amino acid substitution defines distinctive effects on the surface of the D:D interaction sites that are reflected in the clot structure and functional properties.

Amyloidosis and bleeding: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy

Amyloid diseases can be associated with potentially life-threatening hemorrhage. Pathogenetic factors contributing to the abnormal bleeding tendency in this setting are heterogeneous and depend on the type of amyloidosis and pattern of organ involvement. In patients with light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, acquired hemostatic abnormalities, including coagulation factor deficiencies, hyperfibrinolysis, and platelet dysfunction, can be regarded as the most important pathogenetic factors. In patients with other types of amyloidosis, acquired hemostatic defects are rare, and amyloid deposition has also been reported to be the main cause of abnormal bleeding manifestations. Amyloid angiopathy with increased fragility of blood vessels and impaired vasoconstriction may promote bleeding in this setting. Rupture of solid organs caused by amyloid deposition also was reported. Whereas therapeutic options in bleeding caused by local amyloid deposition are restricted to supportive measures and, in severe cases, surgery, acquired hemostatic defects may be treated according to the causative mechanism. In this review, we focus on bleeding risks in patients with amyloid diseases. Current concepts with regard to pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment are summarized and discussed.

Acquired von Willebrand Syndrome: An Underdiagnosed and Misdiagnosed Bleeding Complication in Patients With Lymphoproliferative and Myeloproliferative Disorders

Acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS) is a rare bleeding disorder with laboratory findings similar to those for congenital von Willebrand disease (VWD). Unlike the congenital disease, AVWS usually occurs in individuals with no personal or family history of bleeding. The prevalence of AVWS in the general population is unknown because data from large prospective studies of this syndrome are not available. Although AVWS is particularly frequent in lymphoproliferative or myeloproliferative disorders, it can also be associated with solid tumors, immunologic and cardiovascular disorders, and other miscellaneous conditions. Diagnosis of AVWS is based on assays measuring the activity of von Willebrand factor (VWF). This tends to be abnormally low, but factor VIII (FVIII) coagulant activity can sometimes be normal. FVIII/VWF inhibiting activity is found in only a minority of cases. Bleeding episodes in patients with AVWS are mostly of the mucocutaneous type and can be managed with desmopressin, plasma-derived FVIII/VWF concentrates, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). Recombinant activated factor VII can be useful in patients unresponsive to standard therapy. An updated version of the International Registry on AVWS, recently available online, will provide more information on this rare, but underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed, disorder.

Neonatal coagulation problems

Bleeding problems often occur during the neonatal period. Although thrombocytopenia is the most common cause, coagulation problems often occur, and the two problems may co-exist. The causes, diagnosis, and management of coagulation problems in newborn infants are reviewed.

Antidotes to haemorrhage: recombinant factor VIIa

Recombinant Factor VIIa (rFVIIa) concentrates were originally developed to treat the refractory bleeding complications associated with allo-antibody inhibitors in hemophilias A and B. As experience was gained in the hemophilias, the physiology of rFVIIa and its successes in controlling bleeds stimulated rFVIIa use in other challenging medical conditions complicated by bleeding. Thus, rFVIIa has assumed the role of a 'universal pancoagulant' without sufficient evidence-based data from well-designed, adequately powered clinical trials. This chapter discusses the anecdotal experience with rFVIIa based upon the few controlled trials that do exist, and emphasizes that these empirical dosing strategies have not yielded the best approach to achieve effective control of bleeding. Evidence-based data are necessary to establish the cost-benefit and risk-benefit profiles of rFVIIa, and to establish it as a standard treatment for bleeding.

[Hypercoagulability in atrial fibrillation and its relationship with risk factors for systemic embolism]

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation is associated to a high risk of systemic embolism and to hypercoagulability.

AIM

To evaluate the activation of the coagulation cascade through determinations of the thrombin-antithrombin complex in patients with atrial fibrillation and to correlate this data with the clinical and echocardiographic risk factors for systemic embolism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In 53 patients with atrial fibrillation plasma levels of the thrombin-antithrombin complex were determined on admission to a coronary care unit and 30 days later. Using a univariate and multiple regression analysis, the association basal thrombin-antithrombin with the duration of the arrhythmia, age over 70 years, previous use of antiplatelet agents, history of hypertension, mitral valve disease, diabetes, heart failure, previous systemic embolism, left atrial diameter and the presence of spontaneous contrast echo or thrombus in the left atrial appendage, was studied.

RESULTS

Basal thrombin-antithrombin values were 40.1 +/- 69 mg/L (Median 8.34 [3.0-47.5]) compared to 2.7 +/- 3.3 mg/L in healthy controls (p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between activation of the coagulation cascade and risk factors for systemic embolism. There were no significant differences in thrombin-antithrombin values between patients with chronic or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (29.5 +/- 43 mg/L and 49.4 +/- 83 mg/L respectively). Mean thrombin-antithrombin values in patients under antiplatelet agents were lower than in those without treatment (17.3 +/- 43 vs 66.8 +/- 127 mg/L; p = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS

The activation of the coagulation cascade in patients with atrial fibrillation was confirmed. However, no association of this activation with well known clinical and echocardiographic risk factors for systemic embolism, was found. Previous antiplatelet treatment prevented a higher activation of the coagulation cascade.

Rare coagulation deficiencies

Deficiencies of coagulation factors (other than factor VIII and factor IX) that cause a bleeding disorder are inherited as autosomal recessive traits and are generally rare, with prevalences in the general population varying between 1 : 500 000 and 1 : 2 000 000. In the last few years, the number of patients with recessively transmitted coagulation deficiencies has increased in European countries with a high rate of immigration of Islamic populations, because in these populations, consanguineous marriages are frequent. Owing to the relative rarity of these deficiencies, the type and severity of bleeding symptoms, the underlying molecular defects and the actual management of bleeding episodes are not as well established as for haemophilia A and B. This article reviews these disorders in terms of their clinical manifestations and characterization of the molecular defects involved. The general principles of management are also discussed.

KEYWORDS

afibrinogenaemia, autosomal recessive disorders, factor VIII, factor XI, factor XIII.

HIV and thrombosis: a review

The array of clinicopathologic factors associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients continues to increase and surprise many physicians. The recent literature contains reports of thrombotic episodes occurring in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Various abnormalities predisposing to a hypercoagulable state have also been reported in AIDS patients including the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies and the lupus anticoagulant; deficiencies of protein C, protein S, heparin cofactor II, and antithrombin and increased levels of von Willebrand factor, and d-dimers. These abnormalities correlate with the severity of HIV-associated immunosuppression as measured by the CD4 cell counts and with the presence of concurrent infectious or neoplastic diseases. The authors reviewed the medical literature and describe various abnormalities predisposing to a hypercoagulable state in AIDS patients along with the management of such complications. This issue is important because deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolus (PE), or thrombosis at other sites can develop in patients with AIDS who are ambulatory and have no known risk factors for pathologic thrombus formation, providing another challenge in an already difficult clinical situation. This also provides a strong rationale for careful prospective studies focusing on the prevalence and risk factors involved in the development of thromboembolic complications in patients with AIDS.

Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with coagulation abnormalities in a child with carbohydrate deficient glycoprotein syndrome type Ix

A 6-year-old male patient presented with Budd-Chiari syndrome and glycoprotein abnormalities associated with carbohydrate deficient glycoprotein syndrome type I with yet unidentified molecular defect (type Ix). Budd-Chiari syndrome most likely developed after hepatic venous thrombosis caused by coagulation abnormalities resulting from hypoglycosylation and functional impairment of anticoagulant proteins.

Deficiency of natural anticoagulant proteins C, S, and antithrombin in portal vein thrombosis: a secondary phenomenon?

BACKGROUND

Hereditary deficiencies of natural anticoagulant proteins are implicated in the pathogenesis of portal vein thrombosis (PVT). Secondary deficiencies of these proteins have also been reported in PVT, making interpretation of concentrations difficult.

AIMS

To characterise the coagulation profiles in adult patients with PVT and to investigate the possible mechanisms of natural anticoagulant protein deficiency.

PATIENTS

Twenty nine adult patients with portal hypertension caused by PVT, and normal biochemical liver function tests.

METHODS

Routine coagulation profiles and concentrations of proteins C, S, and antithrombin were measured; where indicated, corresponding concentrations in parents were also measured. Synchronous peripheral and hepatic or splenic vein concentrations were compared in seven patients undergoing interventional procedures, as were peripheral concentrations before and after shunt surgery in three patients.

RESULTS

Deficiencies of one or more of the natural anticoagulant proteins occurred in 18 patients (62%), with six patients having combined deficiency of all three proteins. There were strong correlations between prothrombin and partial thromboplastin time ratios and concentrations of natural anticoagulant proteins. Family studies in nine cases of anticoagulant protein deficiency revealed possible hereditary deficiency in only three cases, and significantly lower concentrations of anticoagulant proteins in all PVT cases compared with parents. Levels of anticoagulant proteins tended to be lower in hepatic veins but higher in splenic veins compared with peripheral vein concentrations. Peripheral concentrations decreased after shunt surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Deficiency of natural anticoagulant proteins is common in PVT and is probably a secondary phenomenon in most cases, occurring as part of a global disturbance of coagulation variables. The mechanism for this remains unclear but may result from a combination of reduced hepatic blood flow and portosystemic shunting itself.

[Liver diseases and hemostasis]

The liver plays a key role in the regulation of hemostasis. By producing most clotting factors and inhibitors, as well as a number of the proteins involved in fibrinolysis, and by clearing from the bloodstream activated enzymes involved in clotting or fibrinolysis, the liver protects against both bleeding and undue activation of coagulation. It follows that liver diseases are commonly responsible for hemostasis abnormalities including decreased production of clotting factors, thrombocytopenia, platelet dysfunction, and increased circulating fibrinolytic activity. With the exception of cholestasis and in the absence of a specific setting such as pregnancy, the abnormalities are the same in all liver diseases, and their severity varies only with the degree of hepatocellular failure. Although liver diseases do not directly cause disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), they are a major risk factor for DIC in patients with infection or shock, as well as during pregnancy. In patients with liver diseases, hemostasis tests can be required to evaluate the degree of hepatocellular failure, the severity of hemostasis disorders manifesting as bleeding, or the bleeding risk before an invasive procedure. Prothrombin time determination is usually sufficient to evaluate the degree of hepatocellular failure, although in some cases assays of fibrinogen and factors II, VII, X, V are also useful. Evaluation of the bleeding risk prior to an invasive procedure requires a study of platelet function and measurement of circulating fibrinolytic activity, which is particularly likely to be abnormal in patients with severe hepatocellular failure and/or alcohol abuse. A less common reason for investigating hemostasis is a search for the cause of a thrombotic condition, such as portal vein thrombosis or Budd-Chiari syndrome.